What to Do with KSM?
Yesterday, Attorney General Eric Hold confirmed that the government will try U.S.S. Cole bomber Abd al-Hashiri at the prisoner-of-war camp in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. But he also cautioned the media at the press conference that that wouldn’t necessarily be the fate of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed “mastermind” of the September 11th attacks.
In the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, 17 sailors were killed. In the coordinated attacks of September 11th, the Obama administration reasons, over 2,700 civilians were killed. Therefore (apparently), the conclusion is that KSM should be tried in a civilian court.
By December 1944, Allied leaders were discussing what to do with captured Nazi war criminals. Stalin proposed summarily executing between 50,000-100,000 German staff orders. Joking, Roosevelt replied 49,000 would do. After seeing the extent of Nazi destruction throughout Europe, he was said to hope that Stalin would re-propose his plan
Churchill denounced the idea of “the cold blooded execution of soldiers who fought for their country.” However, he also stated that war criminals must pay for their crimes and that in accordance with the Moscow Document which he himself had written, they should be tried at the places where the crimes were committed. Churchill was vigorously opposed to political executions, but supported military trials for the atrocities they had committed, particularly against civilians.
Liberals argue that Ring of Fire mastermind Sheikh Abdel Rahman was successfully tried in civilian court, as was KSM’s nephew, Ramzi Yousef, for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Holder’s announcement seems to contradict Obama’s long-held plan to hold civilian trials for terror suspects.
According to Fox News:
"The 14-month delay in the al-Nashiri case has never been explained. Holder declared in November 2009 that al-Nashiri would face military justice. Holder made the announcement at the same press conference that he described his plan to try KSM, the self-professed plotter of the 9/11 attacks, in New York City, not far from the former site of the World Trade Center.
"Fierce resistance in New York and a bipartisan coalition in Congress blocking funds for the plan forced the administration to abandon the KSM plan. There has been no word for months on the plan for KSM and his alleged co-conspirators. The decision to move forward with a military trial for Al-Hashiri was a hopeful sign for a military trial for the 9/11 conspirators. Naturally, human rights groups are very unhappy.
"The fact that he as well as many of the other 173 Guantanamo detainees are Yemenis has caused diplomatic repercussions and resulted in two recent terrorist bombings in that country. The ACLU charges that the military tribunals are a cover-up for what they consider torture practices."
Advocates of the military tribunal argue that Obama wants the civilian trials in order to indict former Pres. Bush for “war crimes.” Families of 9/11 victims don’t want this murderer grandstanding for his Islamic cause in their very own city. If convicted, the judgment would be an indictment of Islam. KSM is said to be able to quote the Koran from memory. The defense would have difficult time convincing a jury that their client was simply a madman with delusions of grandeur (which he is) and not a representative of peaceful Muslim society (which it certainly doesn’t appear to be).
Or does the government, on both sides of the aisle, fear something more from the trial of KSM than Muslim unrest in foreign countries, diplomatic disapproval, waterboarding, and the media circus KSM is certain to create.
Upon his capture in March 2003, a New York City newspaper published online a declaratory statement from KSM. Within an hour, it was removed, but not before at least some New York area residents saw it, I being one of them.
There’s plenty of evidence against KSM, without adding this tidbit. His murder of Daniel Pearl alone is enough to at least put him away for life, alongside his nephew. Obama needs to stop playing politics with this trial. KSM considers himself a warrior in the cause of Islam. Does Obama? KSM would divulge too much information that would cause a danger to national security, cause problems in handling the trial, and endanger witnesses and his conviction. He would make a mockery of this trial, as he has done in every court case in which he has been involved.
It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a stronger leader to make the right decision in this case, give KSM a trial that will deal with him lawfully and satisfy the survivors of his victims, and the American people, that justice was dealt swiftly (as possible, this being the 10th year since the attacks). The sooner KSM is dispatched, one way or another, the better.
In the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, 17 sailors were killed. In the coordinated attacks of September 11th, the Obama administration reasons, over 2,700 civilians were killed. Therefore (apparently), the conclusion is that KSM should be tried in a civilian court.
By December 1944, Allied leaders were discussing what to do with captured Nazi war criminals. Stalin proposed summarily executing between 50,000-100,000 German staff orders. Joking, Roosevelt replied 49,000 would do. After seeing the extent of Nazi destruction throughout Europe, he was said to hope that Stalin would re-propose his plan
Churchill denounced the idea of “the cold blooded execution of soldiers who fought for their country.” However, he also stated that war criminals must pay for their crimes and that in accordance with the Moscow Document which he himself had written, they should be tried at the places where the crimes were committed. Churchill was vigorously opposed to political executions, but supported military trials for the atrocities they had committed, particularly against civilians.
Liberals argue that Ring of Fire mastermind Sheikh Abdel Rahman was successfully tried in civilian court, as was KSM’s nephew, Ramzi Yousef, for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Holder’s announcement seems to contradict Obama’s long-held plan to hold civilian trials for terror suspects.
According to Fox News:
"The 14-month delay in the al-Nashiri case has never been explained. Holder declared in November 2009 that al-Nashiri would face military justice. Holder made the announcement at the same press conference that he described his plan to try KSM, the self-professed plotter of the 9/11 attacks, in New York City, not far from the former site of the World Trade Center.
"Fierce resistance in New York and a bipartisan coalition in Congress blocking funds for the plan forced the administration to abandon the KSM plan. There has been no word for months on the plan for KSM and his alleged co-conspirators. The decision to move forward with a military trial for Al-Hashiri was a hopeful sign for a military trial for the 9/11 conspirators. Naturally, human rights groups are very unhappy.
"The fact that he as well as many of the other 173 Guantanamo detainees are Yemenis has caused diplomatic repercussions and resulted in two recent terrorist bombings in that country. The ACLU charges that the military tribunals are a cover-up for what they consider torture practices."
Advocates of the military tribunal argue that Obama wants the civilian trials in order to indict former Pres. Bush for “war crimes.” Families of 9/11 victims don’t want this murderer grandstanding for his Islamic cause in their very own city. If convicted, the judgment would be an indictment of Islam. KSM is said to be able to quote the Koran from memory. The defense would have difficult time convincing a jury that their client was simply a madman with delusions of grandeur (which he is) and not a representative of peaceful Muslim society (which it certainly doesn’t appear to be).
Or does the government, on both sides of the aisle, fear something more from the trial of KSM than Muslim unrest in foreign countries, diplomatic disapproval, waterboarding, and the media circus KSM is certain to create.
Upon his capture in March 2003, a New York City newspaper published online a declaratory statement from KSM. Within an hour, it was removed, but not before at least some New York area residents saw it, I being one of them.
There’s plenty of evidence against KSM, without adding this tidbit. His murder of Daniel Pearl alone is enough to at least put him away for life, alongside his nephew. Obama needs to stop playing politics with this trial. KSM considers himself a warrior in the cause of Islam. Does Obama? KSM would divulge too much information that would cause a danger to national security, cause problems in handling the trial, and endanger witnesses and his conviction. He would make a mockery of this trial, as he has done in every court case in which he has been involved.
It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a stronger leader to make the right decision in this case, give KSM a trial that will deal with him lawfully and satisfy the survivors of his victims, and the American people, that justice was dealt swiftly (as possible, this being the 10th year since the attacks). The sooner KSM is dispatched, one way or another, the better.
posted by Belle | 10:03 AM
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